


Christmas In Purgatory

by AngerAndHope



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Christmas Movie Clichés, F/F, Inspired by Cheesy Christmas Movies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:14:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21873520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngerAndHope/pseuds/AngerAndHope
Summary: Waverly left her hometown years ago but after hearing the news of her Uncle's death, she returns home and spends Christmas in Purgatory.
Relationships: Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught
Comments: 46
Kudos: 243





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I asked for people to suggest some Christmas movie clichés and nobody did! 😂 So I was on my own with some help from [LFL21_PotterAndEarpFan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LFL21_PotterAndEarpFan/pseuds/LFL21_PotterAndEarpFan) who I thank very much!

Waverly cradles the glass of wine in her hands as she sinks into her couch. It has been a long day.

Her face still hurts from all of the fake smiling she had to do all day. Brad had been announced as the new head of her department, but she knows that the job should have been hers. She's gained a lot of experience in the past few years, plus there is nobody more qualified than her. Unfortunately, that's not how things work. It's more important to be friends with the boss and even more importantly, you have to be male. Even if you are more qualified for the job.

She should be used to it by now. It's the second time she's passed over for the promotion. It just hurt slightly more this time considering it was Brad who got the job. He could barely tie his own shoelaces and now he's technically her boss. She honestly doesn't think that this day could get any worse.

Waverly takes a sip of her wine, hoping it would help her take the edge off what was a pretty crappy day. The twinkling lights of the Christmas tree she had put up the night before also help to lift her mood. There was just something so soothing about them.

Feeling slightly cold, she reaches for the blanket and pulls it over herself. Just as she's about to get comfy, her phone rings and Gus' name flashes on the screen.

"Hey, Aunt Gus. Is everything okay?"

"It's your Uncle Curtis" Gus manages to say before her words turn into sobs.

Waverly's heart stops, fearing the worst. She waits silently for her Aunt to continue and confirm her thoughts.

"He's passed away. He had a heart attack. He was checking on his beloved tomatoes. I thought he had been gone far too long. So, I went outside to give him a piece of my mind and I found him collapsed on the floor."

"Oh my god, Gus. I'm so sorry" Waverly manages to get out before her own tears start to fall.

"He loved those damn tomatoes," Gus says with a sniff.

"I'll be there as soon as I can, okay?"

"Okay. It'll be nice to see you."

"You too Aunt Gus."

"I should go. I have a couple of things that need doing" Gus says and Waverly wishes they could talk longer, although she has no idea of what to say to her grieving Aunt.

"Of course. I love you."

"I love you too honey."

As soon as Waverly hangs up, she grabs her laptop from the coffee table and starts to search for flights. It's a struggle considering it's so close to Christmas. She wouldn't be the only one looking to fly home for the holidays but at least they would be flying home for a happier reason. She can't believe that Curtis is dead, he had been more of a father to her than her own ever had before he died.

She finally manages to find a flight from Toronto to Calgary. She'll then have to rent a car and drive the rest of the way to Purgatory. It's going to take hours but she should arrive in Purgatory sometime tomorrow night. Once she books the tickets it then occurs to her that she needs to call into work and take the time off. If things weren't bad enough, she now has to call Brad as her new boss and ask him. She is not looking forward to this but there is no point in putting it off any longer that she needs to.

Waverly picks up her phone and dials the department's number hoping that Brad would still be around. It wouldn't surprise her if he was slacking off on the job already but to her relief, he answers the phone.

"Hi Brad, it's Waverly. Congratulations again" Waverly says through gritted teeth.

"Thanks. So what's up?"

"I need to take a week off work, possibly two. If that's okay" Waverly asks, hoping she can kill him with kindness.

"Seriously, it's right near Christmas."

"I know but my uncle died and I need to go home for his funeral. I have to be there for my family."

"You can have a day for the funeral but that's it" Brad offers.

"My family live in Purgatory. It'll take me a day to get there and another day to get back."

"I'm sorry Waverly, that's all I can give you," Brad says and Waverly doesn't think he's sorry at all.

"Brad, I have to go home. So I need to take at least a week, please. Come on, I could have lied and told you that I was sick but I didn't. I was honest with you."

"I've told you, Waverly. No. If you're not in work on Monday then you're fired."

"Not if I quit first" Waverly shouts angrily and hangs up the phone.

This is the last thing that she needs. Her anger quickly subsides as the tears start to form in her eyes. First Uncle Curtis is gone and now she might lose her job.

Sometimes she wonders if she did the right thing by leaving Purgatory behind because it wasn't just Purgatory she was leaving, it was her family. She missed out on the last few years of Curtis' life and she can never get those back.

Christmas was supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year but so far, it's turning out to be more of a nightmare before Christmas.

* * *

Waverly never thought that she would miss winter in Purgatory but seeing the town covered in a white blanket of snow gave the place that little bit of magic. It's funny how you can be away from a place for so long, but the moment you're back you know your way around like the back of your hand. Roads you haven't travelled for years become so familiar again and you feel as if you never left.

Seeing the town again makes her wish that she never did leave. There was so much she had missed out on when she left but Curtis had always encouraged her to live her dreams. Curtis had always supported her, ever since she was young. Curtis and Gus had taken them in after their father had died. Their mother had left years before without a word so Curtis and Gus were the only family they had left.

Curtis was the reason she had left this town all those years ago and now he was the reason she was back.

She had passed the 'Welcome to Purgatory' sign about a mile ago. She decided to take a little detour through the town before she made the trip to the homestead. It was getting late in the evening on a Sunday so the town was quiet. Each shop was adorned with Christmas decorations. Even Shorty's, the bar her Aunt and Uncle part-owned had a rainbow of lights twinkling in the windows.

It felt nice to be back in Purgatory, she just wishes that it was in better circumstances. Curtis' funeral would be soon and Waverly wasn't quite sure how to say goodbye to him yet. As she leaves the main town, leaving the Christmas lights and decorations behind, she turns onto a darkened road, her headlights the only way of lighting her way.

She barely makes it halfway up the road before the engine starts to make a stuttering sound. She hopes that it's nothing but the light on her dashboard that's just flashed on says otherwise. Luckily, Waverly manages to pull the car up to the side of the road before the engine gives up completely.

"Fudgenuggets!" she yells, hitting her fists against the steering wheel. This was the last thing she needed to happen. She still had about half a mile before she reached the homestead and there was no chance she could walk all that way in the snow especially in the cover of darkness.

"Stupid piece of crap rental!"

She pulls out her phone and calls Wynonna but there is no answer. She tries another two times before giving up. She could call Gus but she doesn't want to add any more stress to the woman who is still grieving for her husband. As it is, she might not have any other choice. However, just as she's about to give in and call her aunt, she spots two headlights approaching. The lights are so bright in the darkness that Waverly has to shield her eyes from the light they're emitting.

The car pulls up behind Waverly's and she watches as a tall figure gets out of it and approaches her car. Her hands automatically find the locks as you can never be too careful. She looks around the car for a potential weapon just in case, when there's a knock at her window which surprises her, causing her to jump. Waverly turns towards the window and finds a woman with short red hair, smiling at her.

Waverly lowers the window just enough for her to talk to the other woman.

"You need any help?" the redheaded stranger asks.

"I'm okay, thank you. I just need to call a tow truck."

"Well Jimmy is the only guy with a tow truck within a twenty-mile radius and I just saw him stumbling out of Shorty's so I don't think he'll be able to help you. I

can give you a ride and then I can call Jimmy tomorrow and get him to pick up your car."

"I'm not really sure getting in a car with a stranger is the best idea."

"Hi. I'm Nicole and you are?"

"Waverly" she replies tentatively.

"It's nice to meet you Waverly. There, we are no longer strangers. So are you taking me up on my offer of a ride or not, because it's pretty cold out here."

"Fine" Waverly replies.

She grabs her purse from the passenger seat and exits the car, making sure to lock it behind her.

"Just to let you know, I know the Sheriff so if anything happens to me, there will be hell to pay."

"Don't worry. I'm pretty friendly with the Sheriff too" Nicole says with a smile.

Waverly follows Nicole over to her car, who leads her to the passenger door and politely opens it for her. She waits for Waverly to take a seat before closing the door behind her.

"So where am I taking you?" Nicole asks as she slips into the driver's seat and puts her seat belt on.

"It's not far, just about half a mile up the road."

"The Earp homestead?"

"Yes. You've heard of it?" Waverly asks, rather surprised.

"I know Wynonna. So you're her sister, Waverly. I probably should have made the connection when you told me your name. I'm sorry about your Uncle."

"Thank you. So Wynonna talks about me?"

"All the time. She's very proud of her little sister for getting out of Purgatory and getting a fancy degree. Her words, not mine."

"I shouldn't have stayed away for so long. I always planned on coming back but life kind of got in the way" Waverly admits.

"I get that, sometimes life just throws a curveball at you."

"So what's your story? I know everyone that grew up here and I don't remember you so you must have moved here recently."

"I moved here about two years ago. I needed a fresh start and Purgatory seemed like a good place to get one."

Waverly gets the sense that Nicole doesn't want to elaborate any more than that. So even though she wants to, she doesn't press the subject.

"So here we are, safe and sound and all in one piece" Nicole declares as they enter the driveway of the Earp homestead.

"Yes, thank you for not murdering me" Waverly jokes, which earns a laugh from Nicole.

"You're very welcome. So, I'll call Jimmy tomorrow and get him to pick up your car."

"You don't have to do that. I can call Jimmy myself, we went to high school together. I always knew he would take over his father's shop one day."

It didn't surprise Waverly one bit. Not many people moved out of Purgatory. You're born here and you die here. It was a small-town mindset, one that Waverly never had or really understood. She had always dreamed of moving out of Purgatory and did just that when she turned eighteen. The thrill of moving to a big city had enticed her when she was younger but now that thrill was starting to wear off.

She didn't expect to be working the same job for this long, she thought that she would be able to climb the ladder and one day be the head of the department.

Her love life wasn't any better either. Her relationship with Champ had deteriorated. They were currently on a break and were supposed to be having a conversation about where their relationship was going. That conversation would now be delayed. She had tried to call Champ before she left but there was no answer. So she left him a quick voice mail to explain she was on her way to Purgatory.

"Thank you for the ride."

"You're very welcome. Good night Waverly. Take this, just in case you ever need a helping hand again" Nicole says handing her a card.

"Good night Nicole."

Waverly opens the car door and exits the vehicle. As she approaches the homestead she can't help but turn around and wave goodbye at Nicole. Nicole smiles and waves back before putting her car in reverse and backing out of the driveway. Remembering the card in her hand, Waverly decides to look at it.

"Sheriff Haught, of course" she mumbles to herself.

Not only was Nicole's name very apt but Waverly had completely embarrassed herself with all of her "I know the Sheriff" talk.

Shaking her head, Waverly turns back around and looks at the homestead. It's been years since she has stepped foot on this land but it only seems like yesterday since she said goodbye and left. She has always imagined what it would be like to return home and now, she's about to find out.


	2. Chapter 2

"Wynonna, I'm home!" Waverly calls as she enters the homestead.

"Aunt Waverly!" a small voice yells as a tiny human ball of energy collides with Waverly's legs, wrapping her in a hug.

"Hi Alice," Waverly says, bending down so she can give the child a proper hug.

She holds onto the girl tightly, enjoying the feeling of her niece in her arms.

Throughout the years, she's watched Alice grow up on a screen. Special moments shared through photographs or videos. Conversations happening through video calls. The sadness and the guilt of telling Alice that she'll visit soon but never seeing those promises through. All of that was forgotten in this moment as Alice squeezes her back just as tightly.

Waverly has seen her grow up through a lens but seeing her up close, she can see just how much she resembles Wynonna. She just hopes that she has inherited Wynonna's good qualities and not the ones that leave a lot to be desired.

"Welcome home" Waverly hears her Aunt say as she enters the room.

She looks older than Waverly remembers but she isn't sure if it's down to age or the fact that she's currently grieving.

"Hi Aunt Gus. I'm so sorry" Waverly says, letting go of Alice so she can pull her Aunt in for a hug too.

"Girl, you have nothing to be sorry for. I'm glad you're here."

"Me too. Where's Wynonna?" Waverly asks, letting go of her Aunt.

"She's at Shorty's. She's been covering my shifts since Curtis passed. Quite frankly I can't face going back there just yet."

"Well, I can help out now too. Whatever you need me to do, I'll do it."

"Thanks honey. How about you put Alice to bed? I'm sure she'll like that" Gus suggests.

Waverly turns to look at Alice who has a huge smile on her face at the prospect of getting to spend some more time with her Aunt. Waverly takes Alice's small hand in hers and guides her towards the stairs.

"Night Aunt Gus" Alice yells, as she begins ascending the stairs.

Alice leads Waverly to her own childhood bedroom. The furniture is all different and the pink walls have been replaced by a pale blue, but a sense of nostalgia hits Waverly when she enters her old bedroom.

The room looks different but there is one thing that Waverly remembers: a small stuffed unicorn sitting on the bed. It had been Waverly's favourite toy growing up, so she had given it to Alice when she was born. Waverly would carry it everywhere as a child so it warmed her heart to see that Alice seemed to love the little unicorn as much as she had.

Waverly follows Alice over to the bed and helps her niece climb into it, tucking her up snugly in the cosy duvet.

"Aunt Waverly, can you read me a story?" Alice asks.

"Sure, what do you want to read?"

"Too Many Tomatoes. It's what Uncle Curtis used to read to me. I miss him."

"I miss him too sweetie."

Waverly picks up the book from the shelf and smiles at the front cover. The picture was of a young boy with his grandparents, each holding a basket of tomatoes. The elderly couple had a slight similarity to Uncle Curtis and Aunt Gus. Although Aunt Gus probably wouldn't take too kindly to being referred to as elderly.

Waverly sits on the bed beside her niece, memories of Curtis reading to her when she was a child come flooding back. She has to compose herself for a moment before she's able to delve into the story and start reading to Alice.

Alice falls asleep before Waverly manages to get to the end of the story. So with a kiss on her head, Waverly places the book on the bedside table and tiptoes out of the room as quietly as she can.

The next morning Waverly makes her way downstairs. It still feels strange being in her childhood home, especially since she hadn't slept in her old bedroom. As she enters the kitchen, Wynonna turns to face her, a smile breaking out on her face.

"Babygirl! I've missed you!" Wynonna says, pulling Waverly into a hug.

"I've missed you too Wynonna. I'm sorry it took me so long and a situation like this to finally bring me home."

"You're here now and that's all that matters."

Wynonna breaks away from the hug and makes her way back to the coffee pot. She fills two mugs with the steaming hot liquid and hands one to Waverly.

"So, how's Gus been holding up?" Waverly asks, leaning against the kitchen counter and taking a sip of her coffee.

"Not great if I'm honest. She hasn't been to Shorty's since it happened. I've been covering both of our shifts. She's been staying here instead of being at home. I think there are too many reminders of Curtis there."

"If you need help at Shorty's, I'm happy to help" Waverly offers.

"Thanks Waves. I'll let you know if I need any help. To be honest I don't really mind at the moment. I was going to cover some extra shifts to make some extra money for Christmas anyway. Gus has been helping out with Alice but it would be great if you can help with her too. I'm sure Alice would love to spend some time with you."

"I would love that too. I've missed out on so much of Alice's life. I can't wait to get to know her properly."

"She's a good kid. Which is surprising since I'm the one who raised her" Wynonna jokes before a more serious tone returns to her voice, "I really want to make sure that Alice has a really good Christmas this year. She deserves it, even more so now that Curtis is gone."

"Yeah, this Christmas is going to be tough on everyone. What's happening with the funeral? Gus hasn't told me much."

"It's on Friday. Everything has already been arranged. Juan Carlo is performing the service and then we're having a wake at Shorty's. Hetty at the diner has offered to help with food and Shorty has the alcohol so we're pretty much set" Wynonna explains.

"That's good. I'm so proud of you for stepping up."

"Well if I'd have left it up to Gus she would have buried him right there in the garden, right next to his beloved tomatoes."

"So is there anything I can do to help?" Waverly asks.

"Not really. Maybe you can try and keep Gus' mind off things for a while. You can catch her up on city life. I'm sure she'd love to hear about all of your amazing adventures."

"Yeah sure. I'll put the kettle on and take her some tea."

Ten minutes later Waverly enters the living room where Gus was sitting on the couch, holding a photograph of Curtis.

"Hey Aunt Gus. I made you some tea" Waverly says, placing the steaming mug on the coffee table in front of her Aunt. "How are you feeling?" she asks.

"I'm not really sure. It's hard. You spend every day of your life with someone and then they're gone. Every morning I wake up, I expect to see him lying there. I

reach out next to me but all I feel is an empty bed" Gus replies.

"I'm sorry Gus. I know he meant so much to you. He meant so much to all of us."

"I know he did. He was so proud of you."

"I wish I didn't stay away for so long" Waverly admits, the guilt swirling around in her stomach once again.

"You were meant for bigger things than this small town. We all could see that. So how's life in Toronto?"

"It's good."

"It's good? Waverly you know that I can read you better than anyone. How's life there really going?"

"I was passed over for a promotion at work again. Brad got it, he's only been there a couple of months but apparently that doesn't matter when you're friends with the boss. Champ and I are on a break again. I was going to tell him that it was over for good but I didn't get the chance too. I left him a voicemail telling him about Uncle Curtis and I haven't even had a text from him."

"That boy was never good enough for you and he didn't appreciate you either, so good riddance is all I can say."

"Well don't worry, as soon as I get back I'll tell him that we're not getting back together. I wish I could do it sooner but I think it's something I should do face to face."

"You're an honest kid Waverly and just because it seems like nothing is going for you at the moment, just hang in there. You never know what surprises life throws at us, just be ready for when it does" Gus says.

"Thanks Aunt Gus."

* * *

Friday comes quicker than anyone would have liked. It seemed like the whole town had turned up for Curtis' funeral which wasn't a surprise. Curtis was loved by the townspeople of Purgatory. Waverly had even spotted Nicole sitting amongst the crowds, in one of the pews of the church. She waved and gave her a small smile which Nicole had returned. It had felt strange being in a church adorned with Christmas decorations, something that usually caused joy being completely lost in the sadness of saying goodbye to someone you love.

Waverly also had the same feeling at Shorty's. A place usually filled with the sounds of people laughing and having a good time was currently replaced by a sombre silence. Just a snippet of conversation here and there. There was nothing different about Shorty's except a table that had been set up against the far wall of Shorty's for the wake. Waverly starts to remove the plastic wrap off the trays of food that Hetty had prepared.

Wynonna was tending the bar with Shorty whilst Gus nursed a whiskey in one of the booths. So Waverly had taken it upon herself to sort out the buffet. She had been trying to keep her emotions in check for Gus' sake so it helped to keep her mind busy. She had already broken down once in the church when Curtis' eulogy was read out. Waverly had held Gus' hand in one of her own and a tissue in the other.

As she reaches to remove the cover on another tray, Waverly spots Nicole approaching her. She looked different than the first time they met, in her all black ensemble. Gone was the green woollen jumper and beanie hat, replaced by black trousers and a black fitted shirt.

"Hi" Waverly greets.

"Hey. I know you've probably heard this too many times today but I'm sorry for your loss. Curtis was a good man."

"Thanks Nicole."

"So did you get a hold of Jimmy?" Nicole asks.

"Yes. He towed my car back to the shop and had a look at it for me. He said it should be ready for this weekend."

"That's good. It'll make things easier to have your car back with the homestead being so far out."

"Yeah, I can't wait to see the town and what's changed since I've been gone. I want to thank you again for helping me that night."

"It was no problem and I'm glad I was there to help. It is my job after all."

"Ah yes, Sheriff Haught. You could have said something before I made a fool out of myself."

"I couldn't help myself, I found your threat to be rather cute" Nicole teases and then internally scolds herself for not only flirting but joking with Waverly at her

Uncle's wake. However, the smile on Waverly's face suggests she doesn't really mind.

"Hey, I can be scary when I want to be."

"I bet you can. Listen, I have to get back to the police department but if you ever want to talk, I've been told I'm a good listener" Nicole offers.

"I'll keep that in mind, thank you."

"You're welcome. Good bye Waverly."

"Goodbye Nicole" Waverly says and watches as Nicole leaves the bar.

She was so distracted watching the redhead leave that she doesn't notice Wynonna's arrival.

"Hey babygirl, how are you doing?" she asks.

"I'm doing okay."

"It's like a funeral in here."

"Wynonna!" Waverly reprimands her sister.

"I'm just saying, this isn't what Uncle Curtis would have wanted. I have an idea."

Before Waverly can even ask what Wynonna's idea is, her sister walks over to the jukebox before getting the attention of the crowd of people inside of Shorty's.

"Listen up everyone, this isn't what Curtis' would have wanted. We're here to celebrate his life. So let's eat, drink and share stories about what a great man he was."

Wynonna hits play on the jukebox and one of Curtis' favourite songs starts playing. The murmurs of conversations start to get louder, laughter fills the air as people share their favourite memories of Curtis. It brings a smile to Waverly's face because Wynonna was right. Curtis wouldn't have wanted people to be sad, he would have wanted people to remember the good times they shared together and they were going to give him that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Too Many Tomatoes is a real book by Eric Ode. I googled children's books about tomatoes because I thought that it would be a cute idea to have Curtis read Alice a story about tomatoes and I actually found one!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to post this yesterday but I forgot. Merry Christmas everyone! I apologise that it's a short chapter.

Not much had changed since Curtis' funeral last week. Gus still hadn't returned to work so Wynonna was still pulling double shifts at Shorty's and had asked Waverly to look after Alice for the day. Waverly was excited about the prospect of spending the afternoon with her niece. She was especially excited that it involved a tradition that she used to love as a kid and even though she had offered to cover Wynonna's shift so she could share this moment with Alice, her sister declined.

She felt bad that Wynonna was missing out but she was also proud of her sister for being a responsible adult. How things have changed over the years.

Every year on the first Saturday of December, Santa would visit Bobo's Toy Store and give out presents to the children of the town. Wynonna had always loved visiting the toy store when they were younger but Waverly's favourite part of the trip had always been when they visited the bookstore next door. Even as a child she loved losing herself in books, no matter how many times Wynonna told her she was lame.

Santa wasn't scheduled to arrive until eleven, so Waverly decided to take Alice into the bookstore she loved as a child. The bookstore feels frozen in time: it's just how she remembered it. Shelves amongst shelves of books. There is every type of book you could imagine but Waverly's favourite was and always will be the section of old history books. Which is exactly where she is now, scouring book after book for one that she hasn't read.

"History is boring" Alice declares, clearly not as thrilled by the dog eared books on the shelf as her Aunt is.

"Why don't you go and take a look at the children's books and I'll meet you there in a minute?" Waverly suggests.

Alice brightens up at this suggestion and she takes off down the aisle towards the children's books. There are too many books to look through and Waverly could easily get lost amongst these books for days but she knows that she has no chance of that happening now with an excitable child waiting on her. She'll have to come back on her own before she leaves town.

As Waverly approaches Alice in the children's section, she notices how enthralled her niece is looking through a book. It's easy to see that even though Alice may think history is boring, the child has an affinity for books.

"Are you ready to see Santa?" Waverly asks, bringing Alice out of her book trance and making her jump a little.

"Yeah!" Alice replies, returning the book to the shelf.

As they exit the bookstore they run into an anxious looking Nicole, talking on the phone and oddly enough, dressed in an elf costume. Nicole huffs in frustration as she finishes the phone call and turns towards Waverly and Alice's direction.

"Waverly, hi!" she says, obviously surprised to see the other woman standing there.

"Wow, look at you!"

"I know I look ridiculous. I thought that once Nedley retired and I became sheriff that I would also take over the role of Santa too but nope!" Nicole says, lowering her voice for the last part so Alice can't hear.

"Well, I think you look very cute. You should have some more elf-confidence."

"Very funny."

"Sorry. I couldn't help my-elf. Okay, that one didn't really work" Waverly says with a laugh.

She thought that she had totally bombed with that one but Nicole seemed to smile at her joke anyway.

"Is everything okay?" Waverly asks, remembering how frustrated Nicole looked before.

"We have a bit of a small problem. Chrissy usually helps out with Santa's grotto but she's sick and I have nobody to fill in. I'm not sure how I'm going to handle all these overstimulated kids on my own."

"I can help." The words are out of Waverly's mouth before she can stop them.

"Are you sure?" Nicole asks, the relief obvious on her face and that convinces Waverly even more.

"Of course. You don't mind, do you Alice? If we help Nicole and Santa out?" Waverly asks, turning towards her niece.

"I wanna help. Can I be an elf?"

"Sure you can" Nicole says. She removes the green elf hat that she is wearing and pulls it onto Alice's head. "Looking good. Come on, I'll take you to the back so you can get changed into your costume."

Waverly notices that it's her that Nicole is talking to now and confusion instantly hits her.

"Wait a minute. Costume?"

* * *

Waverly had really hoped that Nicole had been joking about the costume but here she is standing in a stock room as Nicole hands her a shopping bag which Waverly guesses, contains a costume.

"Hopefully it'll fit. It's brand new so don't worry. You can change over there" Nicole says gesturing towards the corner of the room.

The stock room of Bobo's Toy Store wasn't very big but in the corner of the room Nicole was pointing at, stood two clothes rails with curtains attached. Waverly couldn't believe that this was being considered a changing room. She's lucky that she's short so her head doesn't stick out above the rail. She can only assume that with Nicole being so tall, she didn't get the same courtesy.

If there was one thing about Waverly, it was that she has always loved a challenge. So, she heads over to the makeshift changing room to change into the mystery outfit.

"Thanks for helping me out. I don't know how I would have dealt with this situation on my own" Nicole says.

She has moved as far away as possible from the flimsy curtain to give Waverly's as much privacy as she can.

"Nicole, are you sure this costume is appropriate for children?" Waverly asks from behind the curtain.

"I haven't actually seen it" Nicole admits.

It's only a few minutes later when Waverly steps out of the makeshift dressing room that Nicole does see the costume.

"Oh, wow."

The words leave her lips before she can stop them.

It's not her fault, not when Waverly is standing before her in a slightly sexy Mrs Claus outfit. She looks beautiful, she knows that she shouldn't stare but she can't help herself. Eventually, she manages to shake herself out of her daze and finds her voice again.

"I knew that I shouldn't have let Wynonna pick up the new costume. It's a little sexy but it should be fine. We don't have much of a choice now, anyway. It's nearly eleven and Ned- er... Santa will be annoyed if we're late."

Waverly and Alice follow behind Nicole as they make their way over to a wooden cabin in the corner of the store that was Santa's grotto. The floor around the cabin was covered in fake snow with a few small reindeers dotted around. The line to enter was marked by candy canes tied together with fairy lights. The outside however, was nothing compared to the inside.

Every inch of the interior was decorated with something colourful. In the middle of the grotto was the pise de la resistance, Santa's chair. It's beautiful, with golden trim and upholstered with red velvet. It's exactly how Waverly remembers it as a child, although it seemed a lot bigger back then.

"Waverly, you stay here with Alice and Santa. I'll be managing the line so I need you to let me know when you're ready for the next kid. We need to keep the line flowing otherwise we have grumpy kids and even grumpier parents" Nicole explains.

"Okay, that sounds simple enough."

"Elf Alice, you're in charge of the presents. When Santa asks you for one, you pick one from the sack and hand it to him. Think you can handle that?"

"Yup!"

"Great. Well, it looks like Santa has arrived. Let's get this show on the road!" Nicole says.

* * *

After a while, Waverly is exhausted. Purgatory is a small place but it seemed like every kid in town had come to visit Santa. Alice had been an excellent elf helper and had waited the whole time patiently whilst every child got their gift. Now that they had finished, it was her turn to sit on Santa's lap. Waverly watches as Alice whispers something into Nedley's ear. She still can't believe that he had taken over Santa duties and even more that he had carried it on after he retired.

"I would love to thank you for helping out but I'm on shift in an hour. So, maybe some other time?" Nicole asks, bringing Waverly's attention off her niece.

"You don't have to thank me. I was happy to help. Alice had a really good time too. It's been a hard week so I'm glad to see her smiling" Waverly says.

"Auntie Waverly! Look what Santa gave me!" Alice beams as she runs over to her aunt, holding up a small toy police badge.

"That's really cool Alice" Waverly replies, matching her niece's excitement.

"I want to be a cop like Nicole when I grow up!"

"That's a great idea sweetie."

"Well Alice, when your old enough I would be happy to have you as one of my deputies," Nicole says with a smile.

"Can we ride in the squad car again?" Alice asks with excitement.

"Maybe another day" Nicole replies, chuckling at Alice's enthusiasm.

"Well, we should really get going and check on Gus. She's decided not to stay at the homestead any longer, so it was her first night back in her house without Curtis."

"Well, if you need me, you know where to find me."

"Thanks Nicole" Waverly says as she grabs Alice's hand and starts to leave.

"Enjoy the rest of your day and behave your-elves!" Nicole calls after them.

Alice giggles at Nicole's silliness and even Waverly can't stop a smile tugging at her lips. As they make their way out of the toy store Waverly can't resist turning around and taking one more look at the redhead before she leaves.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a fun drinking game. Have a shot of whiskey spiked eggnog every time you see a Christmas movie cliche!

There is less than two weeks left until Christmas and Waverly still has some of her Christmas shopping to do. Every year she would usually mail Wynonna, Gus, and Curtis their gifts at Christmas so she had already bought them a few things. Luckily even though she had packed in a rush, she had remembered to grab them and bring them with her. However, she still needed a few more gifts including something for Alice. Jimmy had fixed her car as promised so she was currently parking up outside of Holly's coffee shop on Main Street.

She enters the coffee shop and feeling in a festive mood, she orders a peppermint tea.

Tea in hand she exits the coffee shop and heads in the direction of the bookstore. As she turns around the corner, she collides into another body. The cup of peppermint tea goes flying out of Waverly's hand.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" Waverly says, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment.

"We have to stop meeting like this."

"Nicole!" Waverly gasps, her embarrassment going on level higher.

"Can I buy you a replacement?" Nicole asks, gesturing towards Waverly's fallen cup.

"I would lo- like that. Thank you."

"Great."

They walk back to the coffee shop in a comfortable silence. As they reach it Nicole opens the door and holds it for Waverly to enter first. They head over to the counter where they order Waverly's replacement tea and a spice vanilla latte for Nicole. Waverly reaches for her purse in her bag but a hand stops her.

"I've got it" Nicole says, pulling out her wallet.

"But I was the one that bumped into you."

"I know but I still owe you for helping me out at the grotto," Nicole says and before Waverly can reply Nicole hands over a ten dollar bill to the cashier.

"I told you that you didn't have to thank me for that, but thank you for the tea anyway."

"You're welcome. Would you like to join me?" Nicole asks, holding out the cup of fresh tea for Waverly to take.

"Sure" Waverly replies.

She did have plans for the morning but she wouldn't mind deviating from them to spend time with Nicole.

"So Sheriff Haught, are you really sheriff? Because I haven't seen you in uniform yet" Waverly asks as they take a seat at the table.

"You just keep catching me off the clock. I have the morning off today but I'll be back in uniform tonight."

"So what are you planning to do with your morning off?"

"I have a date."

"Oh" Waverly says, hoping the surprise wouldn't show in her voice.

Why would Nicole invite her to sit down if she was waiting for a date?

"Speaking of, here she is."

"Nicole!" a voice squeals.

"Hey Alice!"

Waverly watches in shock as her niece climbs onto Nicole's knees. Wynonna appears a moment later, there is no way that Nicole is going on a date with her sister.

"Oh hey Waves! What are you doing here?"

"I was getting a tea and I bumped into Nicole."

"She literally bumped into me, tea went everywhere" Nicole jokes.

"Not my finest moment, I admit" Waverly says, the embarrassment of earlier still lingering.

"Well, I have to get to Shorty's but thanks for looking after Alice for me, Nicole" Wynonna says and Waverly instantly feels relief knowing that Nicole was referring to Alice as her date and not her sister.

As Wynonna leaves, Waverly excuses herself from the table and follows her sister, catching her before she reaches the door.

"You could have asked me to look after Alice. I wouldn't have minded" Waverly says.

"I know but you had her all day yesterday and she likes spending time with Nicole. Plus, you're helping me out tonight by covering my shift at Shorty's."

"I'm happy to help whilst I'm here. You know that."

"I know and I'm very grateful for that but I think it's good for Nicole to hang out with Alice. She doesn't have any family around here or many friends for that matter. So I think she enjoys looking after Alice so she has some company" Wynonna explains, looking over to her daughter who was still sitting on Nicole's knee.

Waverly's gaze follows Wynonna's and she can't help but smile at the scene in front of her. Alice must have said something funny because Nicole is laughing as she waves her little arms in the air probably to emphasise whatever she's saying.

"She's really good with her" Waverly says.

Worried she's been staring for too long at the redhead she turns her attention back towards her sister. Wynonna has a small smirk on her face, so it's pretty obvious that she had caught Waverly looking at Nicole. She's expecting Wynonna to tease her for it but she doesn't.

"I have to go but I'll see you later when we change over shifts."

"Okay and if you need me before that, just let me know," Waverly says before heading back over to the table where Alice was still making Nicole laugh.

"So Alice and I were going to check out the Christmas market. Would you like to join us?" Nicole asks as Waverly approaches them.

"I wouldn't want to intrude."

"I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't want you to come with us," Nicole says.

"Then I'd love too. I haven't seen them in years. I hope Mrs Winter still makes her famous hot chocolate!"

"I want hot chocolate with marshmallows!" Alice says, cheerily.

"Then marshmallows, you shall have" Nicole replies.

* * *

Alice walks happily in the middle of her Aunt and Nicole, holding both of their hands as they walk around the Christmas market. There are many different stalls to see, from food to gifts, there was just too much for Alice's little eyes to take in. They spend an hour or so looking around the stalls, perusing the handmade items. Waverly recognises a lot of the faces selling their wares, including Mattie the blacksmith who is selling beautifully crafted metal sculptures.

Waverly would love one of the pieces of art but they didn't quite fit with the decor of her city apartment. Seeing Purgatory like this, she's starting to wonder if she even fits the city life either. Before her thoughts can go too far, she feels a tug on her arm.

"Aunt Waverly, can we go ice skating?" Alice asks in the sweetest voice.

"Sure! I haven't skated for a while but hopefully, it'll be like riding a bicycle. Is that okay with you Nicole?"

"It's fine but I think I'll sit this one out" Nicole replies.

"You have to come" Alice whines.

"I'm not really great at skating. Rock climbing is more my thing."

"I can teach you if you want to join us, but don't feel forced to" Waverly offers.

"Come on Nicole, you know you can't say no to me" Alice says, batting her eyelashes like a cartoon.

"Alice!" Waverly chides. "I apologize on behalf of my niece. It seems like she's inherited some of Wynonna's personality after all."

"You don't need to apologise" Nicole says before bending down to Waverly so she can whisper in her ear. "Don't let Alice know but she's right. I can't say no to her."

Nicole laughs as she pulls away from Waverly and turns towards Alice.

"Okay. I will join you but you have to help me, okay?"

"I promise!"

The moment they take to the ice, Nicole regrets the decision she's made. Her feet wobble as she tries to get her balance on the slippery ice below her feet. She tries to take a step forward and wobbles a bit more, she's sure she's about to fall when a hand clasps hers and helps her catch her balance again.

"Are you okay?" Waverly asks.

"I am now. I think you might have to hold my hand the entire time" Nicole says.

She would pat herself on the back for being so smooth, if she wasn't so terrified of falling over.

"I see Alice has already broken her promise," Waverly says, gesturing towards her niece who was already ahead of them skating with ease.

"Yes, she has. But luckily for me, you also offered to help me."

"Yes, I did. So, have you ever roller skated before? That's quite similar to ice skating" Waverly asks.

"Nope."

"Okay, so we're starting from scratch. You have to slide your feet one at a time and when you feel comfortable with that, then you can lift one foot whilst gliding with the other."

"Considering I can barely stand without your help, I'm going to guess and say that this isn't going to be that simple."

"Just keep holding my hand and follow my movements," Waverly says before moving slowly forward, allowing Nicole to try and match her speed. After a few nervous wobbles, Nicole manages to match Waverly's movements as they slowly glide around the ice together.

"So do you look after Alice a lot?" Waverly asks.

"Sometimes. If Wynonna needs me, then I'll be there."

"So how did you meet Wynonna?"

"There were a couple of guys getting a little bit rowdy at Shorty's. I was there off duty but I stepped in and Wynonna thanked me and offered me a drink on the house. I asked her to help me out with a couple of cases since she knows Purgatory better than anyone so we work together sometimes too. After the help she gives me, the least I could do is offer my services as a babysitter."

"I'm glad that she has someone like you around. I still feel guilty for leaving" Waverly says, her eyes downcast.

Nicole gives her a comforting squeeze of the hand.

"You had to go and live your own life, no one can blame you for that. I know that Wynonna never did and neither did Curtis or Gus. They're all so proud of you."

"Thank you for saying that. Well, it looks like your skating is improving" Waverly says, trying to move the conversation on.

"I had a pretty great teacher."

"Do you want to try on your own?"

"Sure," Nicole says with as much confidence as she can muster.

She's not ready to let go of Waverly's hand for a couple of reasons. Although, falling on her ass and embarrassing herself is definitely number one.

Waverly lets go of Nicole's hand and Nicole moves tentatively forward. As she moves slowly across the ice, she feels a little bit more confident so she decides to gain some speed. Waverly watches as Nicole moves around the ice, her eyes transfixed on the smile appearing on Nicole's face. She's glad that Nicole is enjoying herself seeing as she was rather reluctant to join them on the ice in the first place.

Waverly was so lost in watching the redhead, that she hadn't realised that Nicole was coming towards her at quite some speed. It's at this moment where she realises that she hasn't taught Nicole how to stop.

Before she manages to get any words out of her mouth, Nicole collides into her. There's nothing she can do to stop it. All she can do is brace herself for the impact as they both tumble to the ground, Nicole's body landing on top of hers. Waverly allows herself half a moment to enjoy the feeling of having Nicole on top of her, there's no point in denying the fact that she's attracted to the other woman.

"Oh my god. Are you okay?" Nicole asks.

Waverly finds the look of concern on her face rather endearing.

"So, maybe, I should have shown you how to brake first" Waverly jokes.

"Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine" Waverly reassures her.

Nicole looks at her with concern in her eyes once more, like she's trying to decide if Waverly was telling the truth or not. Their faces are so close together and Nicole's eyes are so captivating that Waverly thinks she could get lost in them. Her gaze moves from Nicole's eyes to her lips, it would be so easy for her just to close the gap and press her lips against Nicole's. It's with that thought that she realises that she's still lying on the ground with Nicole on top of her, in the middle of a public ice skating rink.

"Do you think we could get up? The ice is a little cold" Waverly asks, hoping that her voice doesn't betray her.

"I'm so sorry. I'm just embarrassing myself all over today" Nicole says as she removes herself from Waverly and stands up.

She offers Waverly a hand and helps her up off the cold ice.

"Don't worry, you didn't embarrass yourself but maybe I should keep a hold of you just in case?" Waverly says.

She blushes at how those words could have been perceived but Nicole doesn't pick up on it or if she does, she doesn't mention it.

Nicole smiles and holds her hand out for Waverly to take. Hand in hand, Waverly starts to slowly skate, allowing Nicole to copy her movements. Alice soon appears by their side. They spend the next half an hour skating around the rink before deciding it was time to sample Mrs Winter's famous hot chocolate.


	5. Chapter 5

Even though it had been years since Waverly had worked at Shorty's, she easily got back into the swing of things whenever she covers one of Wynonna's or Gus' shifts. She's currently covering Gus', as she had yet to return to work. Waverly wasn't sure when her Aunt would finally feel ready but she didn't want to push her.

The doors of Shorty's opened, grabbing Waverly's attention and in walks Nicole. It's the first time Waverly gets to see her in her sheriff's uniform and it was well worth the wait.

"See? I told you I was the sheriff!" Nicole teases as she places her stetson on the bar.

"I think I preferred the elf costume" Waverly jokes back.

"Hey!" Nicole acts offended but quickly smiles. "So, I had fun the other day when we took Alice to the Christmas markets."

"So did I."

"I thought that maybe we could do it again but without Alice this time," Nicole says with a hopeful smile.

"I'm not sure if that's such a good idea."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought-"

"I do like you Nicole but I'm just visiting. It wouldn't be right to get involved with someone when I'll be leaving in a few weeks" Waverly explains.

"Okay, I understand."

"We can still be friends, though."

"Sure, whatever you want Waverly. Can I get a cappuccino to go, please?" Nicole asks.

"Of course" Waverly replies before making her way to the back of the bar.

She curses herself as she fiddles with the coffee machine. She did the right thing, right? Turning down a date with Nicole. Of course it was, she would be heading back to Toronto soon and it wouldn't be fair to either of them to start something.

Waverly places the coffee cup in front of Nicole. She feels like she should say something but before she does, Shorty appears.

"Waverly, can I talk to you for second?" Shorty asks.

"Sure," Waverly says, her eyes on Nicole for a second before she follows Shorty into his back office.

"What's up Shorty?" Waverly asks.

"I know that Gus is having a hard time but I really need to speak to her about the sale. I have someone coming to look at Shorty's tomorrow."

"Sale? You're selling your half of Shorty's?"

"Yes. Curtis and Gus were planning on buying it but after Curtis died things changed. Gus told me she wants to sell her half too" Shorty explains.

"What? Gus isn't selling her half."

There was no way that could be true. Gus would never hide something that important from her.

"Look, I know that this is hard for you to hear but believe me, I tried to get Gus to change her mind but she won't listen. I'm sorry but I need the sale to go through as soon as possible. You know I wouldn't want to sell to anyone other than Gus but I don't have any choice."

"I'll talk to her, okay? I know that deep down she wouldn't want to sell. I think grief is affecting her judgement."

"I hope you manage to change her mind. I really do but it's too late to cancel the viewing tomorrow. I'll still let the guy take a look around the place and if you can't get Gus to change her mind and this guy makes an offer, then I'm sorry Waverly, I have to take it" Shorty says and Waverly knows he's being sincere.

"I understand Shorty, but trust me, you won't need to take his offer."

Waverly makes her way back to the bar and is disappointed to find that Nicole has left. She hopes that Nicole just had to get back to work and that she wasn't the reason for the redhead's departure. She really did like Nicole but she wasn't lying when she told her that it wasn't a good idea for her to get involved with someone when she was going to leave after the holiday was over. As much as she would have loved to experience a date with the Sheriff of Purgatory, it wasn't fair on either of them if there was no way they can work. Waverly had her life in the big city and Nicole had hers here in Purgatory.

Waverly enters her Aunt and Uncle's house on a mission. There is no way that she is going to left Gus sell Shorty's, not when they put so much of their life into it. That's not what Curtis would have wanted.

She finds Gus sitting on the couch in the living room. There's a daytime soap opera playing on the tv but Gus seems to be paying no attention to it.

This surprises Waverly. Gus has never been one to watch television during the day. What surprises her, even more, is how bare the living room is. She knows that her Aunt is grieving but there are no Christmas decorations anywhere, not even a tree.

"Hi Gus, how are you doing?" Waverly asks as she approaches her aunt and takes a seat on the couch next to her.

"Not too bad kiddo" Gus replies, forcing a smile on her face.

"I was talking to Shorty and he told me that your planning on selling your half of Shorty's."

"Curtis and I were planning on taking over the place fully but now that he's gone, I can't do it all on my own" Gus explains.

"You're not on your own. You have Wynonna and you have me."

"That's very nice of you but you don't belong here. You belong in the city with your fancy job, not working behind a bar."

"Despite the name, that bar is every part of you and Curtis as it is Shorty's. It wouldn't seem right for anyone else to own it" Waverly says.

"I'm sorry Waverly. It's not going to happen. It's hard to see reminders of Curtis everywhere, even being in this house without him doesn't feel right."

"Is that why you haven't put up any of your Christmas decorations?" Waverly asks.

"It doesn't seem right to be celebrating at a time like this."

"I know you're going through a hard time and you're struggling to cope with life without Curtis, but he loved Christmas and he wouldn't want you to miss out on the holiday. He also wouldn't' want you to sell the bar so please, think over your decision on Shorty's. I don't want you to make a decision you'll regret later on" Waverly reasons with her Aunt.

"I won't regret anything. I know your heart is in the right place but there is nothing you can do to get me to change my mind" Gus insists and Waverly takes that as a challenge.

* * *

An hour later, Waverly storms into Shorty's and makes a beeline for her sister who is working behind the bar. She comes to a stop next to Nicole who was now out of her uniform and sitting at the bar, nursing a beer.

"Wynonna I need to borrow your truck."

"What for?" Wynonna asks.

"Did you know that Gus is selling Shorty's?"

"What? I thought Gus was buying Shorty's half."

"She's changed her mind now because she doesn't think she can do it without Curtis. So I'm going to prove her wrong."

"How are you going to do that?" Wynonna asks.

"I'm buying Gus a Christmas tree. Ever since Curtis died she hasn't been herself and Curtis wouldn't have wanted that. He loved Christmas! If he was here, he would have had the whole house decorated by now. I want Gus to remember all the good times she had with Curtis, so I'm going to decorate her house. Then, hopefully, she'll realise that buying Shorty's is what Curtis would have wanted for her" Waverly explains.

"How can I argue with that? Good luck baby girl!" Wynonna says handing her the keys to her truck.

"Thanks Wyn. Nicole, come on. I need you too."

Nicole doesn't get the chance to answer before Waverly grabs her hand, pulling her off the barstool and towards the exit.

* * *

Nicole finds herself trailing behind Waverly as they look around Nick's Tree Lot for the perfect tree. They must have been here for at least twenty minutes already and Nicole, despite her hat and scarf, is getting a little cold.

"What about this one?" Nicole asks, pointing to the fir tree in front of her.

"It looks a little bigger on the right side than the left."

"Seriously? This is like the twentieth tree we've looked at and they've all looked the same."

"No they haven't. They've all been distinctively different. I'll know the perfect tree when I see it. It has to be tall but not too tall. It should be even on both sides, very symmetrical" Waverly says, as she examines yet another tree.

"Does it really matter?" Nicole asks.

"Yes. I want it to be perfect. I need it to be perfect."

"Then we'll keep looking" Nicole says.

It's worth freezing to death for the smile Waverly sends her alone.

"I'm sorry. I just didn't expect to have to deal with something like this, especially after Curtis died. My uncle loved Shorty's and he wouldn't want to see it in the hands of someone else. I know it's just a bar but it's part of our family and I just need to remind Gus of that."

"I get it. I think most people in Purgatory would be sad if your family didn't run Shorty's anymore. They don't take too kindly to outsiders."

"Do you still feel like an outsider?" Waverly asks, turning her attention from the tree she was looking at so she can look at Nicole.

"A little bit. I think a lot of eyebrows were raised when I became sheriff but I like to think people have warmed to me after seeing the good job I do. It's a little rough around the holidays when everyone is getting together with their family and I have no one."

"I'm sorry. I didn't think about you being alone for the holidays."

"Well I'm not exactly alone. I have my cat" Nicole jokes," Plus, last year Wynonna invited me to spend Christmas with your family, so that was nice."

"Has she invited you again this year? Because you're very welcome to join us. I'm not sure what kind of mood everyone will be in but at least you won't be lonely" Waverly says as they move onto another row of trees.

"I would love to join your family for Christmas."

"Oh, here it is! That's the perfect tree!" Waverly exclaims, stopping dead in her tracks.

Nicole stares at the tree but in all honestly she can't see the difference between this tree and the other twenty-five they have looked. Still, she wasn't going to tell Waverly that.

"You're right! It's perfect."

"You stay here and I'll get someone to net it up," Waverly says and leaves with a bounce in her step.

Nicole shoves her gloved hands in her pocket, hoping that would help to warm them up a little more. She has always loved snow but she'd much prefer to view it from the warmth of the inside rather than be stood outside in it.

She hears movement from the trees and is glad that Waverly managed to find someone so quickly. However, she feels disappointed that it wasn't Waverly but the town's homophobe Bunny Loblaw, coming her way.

"This is the tree I want," Bunny says, pointing at the tree Waverly has picked out.

"It's already taken," Nicole says, surprising Bunny who obviously hadn't seen her standing there.

"First come first serve, Officer Haught."

"It's Sheriff Haught and I was here first."

"I don't think so. Carl bag this tree up."

"Don't do it, Carl. This is my tree. Whatever the price is, I'll double it" Nicole says.

There is no way she is letting Bunny Loblaw take this tree after Waverly spent so long finding it. Waverly wanted her perfect tree and by god, she was going to have it.

Carl's eyes light up at the prospect of more money, a smile forms on his lips as he turns towards Bunny.

"I'm sorry Miss Loblaw this tree is taken. We have plenty more trees for you to choose from" he says.

"If you think I'm buying from this place again, you're out of your goddamn mind," Bunny says before storming away, disappearing between the rows of trees.

Nicole can't help the smirk that appears on her face as she pulls her wallet out of her pocket and hands Carl the money to pay for the tree. Not only will Waverly get her perfect tree but she also got to stick it to Bunny and that was worth smiling about in itself.

"Thanks Sheriff. I'll net this up and take it to your car" Carl says, tucking the money in his pocket.

"Thanks Carl. Wynonna's truck is out front."

Carl nods at her as he drags the tree out of sight. Nicole heads in the direction Waverly left, hoping she can find the other woman as quickly as possible. There was still no let-up in the cold weather and she has been standing outside for quite a long time now, thanks to Waverly and her tree search.

Speaking of Waverly, Nicole spots her heading towards her.

"Hey. So, I couldn't find Carl."

"No worries, I found him first. He's taking the tree to the truck" Nicole says.

"I still have to pay him."

"It's all been taken care of and don't worry, this is on me."

"You don't have to do that Nicole. I can pay you back" Waverly says reaching for her purse.

"You've invited me to spend Christmas with you. It's the least I could do. So please allow me to do this."

"Fine. But the next time you're at Shorty's, your drinks are on the house," Waverly says returning her purse to her bag.

"Well, how can I say no to that?"


	6. Chapter 6

Nicole helps Waverly carry the Christmas tree into Gus' house. It's a difficult task considering their height difference but they manage to get the tree inside and place it in the corner of the living room. Wynonna had asked Gus to watch Alice for the night so it was the perfect opportunity for Waverly to set her plan into action.

"So Gus usually keeps the Christmas decorations in the attic. I'll go up there and I can pass things down to you" Waverly says.

One thing Nicole learns quickly is that Curtis really did love Christmas and he had the decorations to prove it. It takes them at least half an hour to get all of them down from the attic. Once the decorations are down, they start to get to work.

"I'll start on the tree. You can start with that box and I'll let you know where everything goes" Waverly says.

Nicole heads over to the box Waverly had pointed at and as she opens it she finds that it contains lots of Christmas records. She skims through the records and picks out a Willie Nelson Christmas album. She takes it over to the record player and puts it on. As the music fills the room, she turns to see Waverly trying to untangle the Christmas lights. She thinks about offering her help but the look of concentration mixed with a little annoyance on Waverly's face is too cute for her to interrupt.

Instead, Nicole grabs another one of the boxes and opens it up. She pulls out one of the decorations and holds it up to show Waverly.

"Okay, so where does this go?" she asks.

"You can hang that above the fireplace. I knew that if nothing else, your height would come in handy" Waverly teases.

"Well, if you struggle to reach the top of the tree just let me know" Nicole shoots back, a dimpled grin of her face.

This is how it goes for the next hour or so.

Waverly decorates the tree and Nicole places decorations and ornaments wherever Waverly tells her too. They laugh and joke with each other and Nicole even gets to sample Waverly's angelic voice when she joins in with the music softly playing in the background. It gets Nicole thinking, this is how Christmas is supposed to be.

Once they finish decorating, they take in the masterpiece they've created. Thanks to Waverly the tree was perfectly decorated with an array of tinsel and ornaments sitting amongst the lights that are currently twinkling, giving the room a warm glow. There were stockings hung on the fireplace, the ones Wynonna and Waverly used as children. Gus still hangs them up every year even though they were no longer used. A garland sits atop the fireplace adorned with pine cones and red berries. The place looks truly magical and Waverly just hopes that Gus will like it.

"It looks great" Nicole says, standing back surveying the room before her.

Waverly moves to stand beside her so she can get a good view of the room herself.

"Thank you for helping me with this. I really appreciate it."

"I was happy to help" Nicole replies.

"Did you hang that there?" Waverly asks, pointing at a decoration above their heads, which causes Nicole to look up.

It was one of the hanging decorations that Waverly said could go anywhere so she hung it on the archway that connected the living room to the dining room.

"Oh, I didn't realise it had mistletoe in it" Nicole replies sheepishly.

As she looks back down, she realises how close she is to Waverly. She swears that Waverly's gaze is on her lips and she wonders if this is it. Is she about to kiss Waverly?

Just as she's about to lean in, Waverly's phone rings. Blushing Waverly steps away from Nicole so she can answer her phone.

"Hey Wynonna. Okay. Thanks for the heads up. I'll see you later. Bye."

Waverly hangs up the phone and turns back towards Nicole, who was no longer standing under the mistletoe.

"Gus is on her way home. We should get all the boxes back into the attic" Waverly says.

"Okay."

It's a little awkward between them as they pack all the boxes back into the attic, neither of them wanting to mention their almost kiss. Luckily for them, just as they finish closing up the attic they hear Gus enter the house.

"What's going on?" Gus asks as she enters her fully decorated living room.

"Hey Gus. Surprise! I wanted to bring a little holiday cheer into your house."

"Not that I'm ungrateful but you didn't have to do this. I'm not really in a celebrating mood."

"I understand that but Curtis loved Christmas so I thought it would be a great way to remember him."

"You put that damn reindeer up" Gus says with a hint of a chuckle.

Despite the humour, Waverly can sense the sadness underneath.

"I know you hate it but Curtis loved it so much" Waverly says.

The reindeer in question was a furry reindeer head on a wooden mount. Curtis would hang it up over the fireplace and when you walked past it, it would say a Christmas themed joke. Curtis thought it was the best thing he's ever seen but it annoyed the hell out of Gus. Multiple times a day she would walk past it and hear the same jokes over and over again.

"I appreciate what you've done. Thank you, both of you" Gus says with the best smile she can muster, "As much as I love Alice, she's a rambunctious little thing. She's worn me out so I'm going to head up to bed."

"Okay Gus. I'll see you tomorrow" Waverly says, slightly disheartened. It seems her plan didn't really work.

* * *

As Waverly approaches Shorty's the next morning, she finds its namesake showing two men the outside of the saloon. When Shorty notices Waverly, he smiles at her and turns to introduce everybody.

"This is Waverly. Her Aunt owns the other fifty percent of the business."

Waverly returns Shorty's smile but it soon drops from her face as the two men turn around and face her.

"Waves?"

"Champ?"

Sensing the tension in the air, Shorty steps forward and opens the door to the bar, holding it open.

"Mr Hardy, how about we let these two catch up and you and I can have a talk about the place" Shorty suggests and Waverly sends him a grateful smile as he guides Mr Hardy through the door.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Waverly asks as soon as the two older men leave.

"My Dad is thinking about buying and redeveloping the bar."

"Redeveloping?"

"Yeah. This place is a little outdated, don't you think? It needs complete changing."

"No, I don't think. This bar has been in my family for years and it's part of our community. It doesn't need changing, people love it just as it is" Waverly says.

She can feel the anger bubbling inside her. Selling Shorty's was one thing but redeveloping it? There was no way Waverly would let that happen! Curtis spent all of his time and money making Shorty's what it is. She wasn't about to let anyone, let alone Champ Hardy, ruin what her Uncle had built.

"They'll get over it. Anyway, how weird is it that we're both here at the same time?" Champs says.

"It's not that weird, Champ. I told you that I was coming home because my Uncle died."

"Oh that's why the name Purgatory must have sounded familiar. It's such a weird name. So, are we going to finally have that talk about us getting back together?"

"Seriously, you want to do this now?" Waverly asks in disbelief.

"Well yeah, we can at least have some fun whilst I'm here. It might cheer you up a bit" Champ says with a smile that he probably thinks is charming.

God, why did she ever date this guy?

"You think that would cheer me up? My Uncle died and my family is struggling to deal with it and you think you can come in and everything will be okay again? God, you're such an idiot. I can't deal with you right now" Waverly says, her anger making a full appearance now.

She turns away from Champ and storms down the street.

* * *

Waverly finds herself entering the police station. After her meeting with Champ her first instinct was to seek comfort from Nicole. It might not have been the best idea considering Waverly rejected Nicole's offer of a date but currently Waverly wasn't thinking properly.

She spots Nicole coming out of her office. She's reading some files in her hands but she looks up as if she can sense Waverly is there.

"Hey."

"Hey Waves. Is everything okay?" Nicole asks, placing the files on the reception desk in front of her.

"No. Everything is not okay. My ex-boyfriend is here, he wants to get back together. And get this: his father's company is the one that wants to buy Shorty's. I just - there is too much happening all at once."

"Hey, it's okay. Why don't we sit down and we can talk it through?" Nicole suggests.

"Okay."

Nicole opens the flap on the reception desk and gestures for Waverly to come through to her office. Waverly takes a seat on the couch as Nicole closes the door behind them.

"So let's start with the ex-boyfriend. Do you want to get back together with him?" Nicole asks as she takes a seat next to Waverly.

"No. We were going to have a talk and I was going to tell him that I didn't want to get back together but then Curtis died and I had to come home. So, I didn't get the chance to tell him. I probably should have told him when I first saw him but he just frustrated me so much."

"Okay so that's simple. The next time you see him you tell him straight. Taylor Swift style, we are never ever getting back together."

Waverly laughs and it's music to Nicole's ears.

"Hey, there's that beautiful smile. So how are things with Gus going?" Nicole asks.

"I honestly don't know. I tried my best to convince her that buying Shorty's is what's best but I'm not sure I got through to her. Now Champ is here and his father wants to buy Shorty's so they can renovate the whole place. Curtis would have hated that."

"We can still try okay? If anyone can convince Gus, it's you" Nicole reassures her.

"Well it is Christmas, here's hoping for a miracle."

* * *

Waverly heads straight back to Shorty's. She doesn't want to put this off any longer. As she enters the saloon, she sees Mr Hardy shaking hands with Shorty.

"It's a nice place you have here, a lot of potential. I'll think it through and hopefully, in the next few days I'll have an answer for you."

"Thank you Mr Hardy" Shorty replies.

Waverly waits until they say their goodbyes before finally approaching Champ and his father.

"Champ, can I speak to you before you leave?"

"Sure Waves."

"I'll wait in the car son," Mr Hardy says sending a smile at Waverly.

Waverly sends a smile back but it soon fades when she's finally alone with Champ.

"I'm just going to get straight to the point. You and I are done Champ. That's it, we're never getting back together. You're immature, inconsiderate and quite frankly an all round douche bag."

"Waves. Baby-" Champ tries to say.

"Nope. I'm not your baby. Once you leave today, that's the last I want to see of you! So goodbye Champ."

Champ looks like he wants to argue back but obviously decides against it as he turns and walks out of the bar.

Waverly decides that a celebratory drink is in order. She makes her way over to the bar and as she reaches for Curtis' favourite brand of whiskey, she notices a small black book on the shelf next to it. She opens the book and flicks through a few of the pages and smiles.

Nicole had said that if anyone could convince Gus to change her mind it would be Waverly but she was wrong. There was only one person that could get Gus to change her mind and maybe Waverly has just found a way how.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took so long, I was struggling a bit with it. The last part will be up by the weekend.

Gus isn't sure if she'll ever get used to waking up alone. It still feels strange not having Curtis in bed next to her after so many years of marriage. She's heard the age-old saying of time heals all wounds but time seems to be moving so slowly. Gus leaves the half-empty bed and as she makes her way downstairs she notices the Christmas tree in the corner of her living room. She hasn't really been in the Christmas mood lately but she's grateful that Waverly cares so much about her that she's trying to help. That she would go to all of this trouble to try and bring her a little bit of happiness, even if it was all in vain.

Gus understands Waverly's reasons of why she decorated her living room but as much as these decorations caused happy memories of times she shared with her husband, they were also a painful reminder that he was no longer here. Especially that god awful reindeer currently mounted on her wall. She still remembers the day Curtis brought it home with the biggest smile on his face. A smile that never dropped even when Gus called him an idiot for buying it. Nothing could stop that man's enthusiasm, she's pretty sure that's where Waverly got her high-spiritedness from.

Gus heads into the kitchen but she only makes it a couple of steps before she notices something on the kitchen table. On closer inspection, she finds that it's a black leather-bound book. On the front cover is a yellow post-it note with the message. "If I can't convince you, then maybe Curtis can."

Curious, she picks up the book and opens it. She recognises Curtis' handwriting immediately. She sits down on one of the chairs so she can take a proper look at the book. It's filled with ideas for Shorty's. Karaoke nights, themed nights and even a plan for New Years Eve. Curtis must have been writing in this book for months. There are even ideas of how to freshen up the decor of the bar and even a sketch of a sign saying 'McCready's'. Even with a smile on her face, the tears still form in her eyes. Curtis had always been a dreamer, it was one of the things she loved most about him. She just wishes that he was still here so he could fulfil those dreams with her.

* * *

It was a week before Christmas and Waverly hadn't heard any news about Mr Hardy buying Shorty's. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. Mr Hardy said he would have an answer in a few days and it had been four since he had visited.

As Waverly approaches Shorty's Saloon, she finds Nicole heading over too and judging by the fact that she's in her sheriff's uniform, she must be on the clock.

"Good morning Nicole!" Waverly greets.

"Hey, Waves. I was just heading over for a coffee."

"I'll make you one, it'll be much better than whatever Shorty will concoct. I can't believe that after all of this time, he still hasn't gotten used to the coffee machine" Waverly says with a laugh as she pushes open the saloon's door.

As they enter Shorty's, they find Wynonna sat at the bar with Shorty on the other side.

"Hey guys, what's going on?" Waverly asks as she descends the stairs, Nicole following behind her.

"I dunno. Shorty just said he had an announcement to make and we were waiting for you to arrive. So now she's here what's the big news?"

Shorty instantly feels three pairs of eyes on him.

"I've sold Shorty's."

"What?" Waverly yells. She feels Nicole reach out and put a comforting hand on the small of her back.

"It all happened quickly but the new owner is on their way. They should be here any minute" Shorty explains.

Waverly hopes to god that Champ Hardy isn't about to walk through that door. She doesn't think she can handle that right now. Nicole still has her hand on her back but it's doing little to comfort her.

The door to Shorty's slowly opens and Waverly holds her breath in anticipation of who is on the other side. She releases it quickly when she sees that it's just Gus entering the bar.

"Hey Gus. Are you here to meet the new owner?" Waverly asks.

"Honey, I am the new owner."

"Really!" Waverly squeals, her face brightening up in an instant.

"Yes. Seeing the ideas and the plans that Curtis had for this place made me realise how blind I've been. I shouldn't have let my grief get in the way of what I knew he would have wanted. He would have wanted us to carry on his dream and I see that now. Thanks to you Waverly" Gus says, holding up Curtis' black book.

"I couldn't have done it without Curtis' insperation and I had help from Wynonna and Nicole too," Waverly insists, sending both of them a smile.

"Nuh-uh babygirl, this was all you" Wynonna insists.

Waverly starts to protest but Nicole turns to face her and cuts her off.

"I may have done some of the heavy lifting, but this was all you. It was your ideas, your passion and drive that made all of this happen. You should be proud of yourself."

"I know I am. Curtis would have been proud of you too" Gus adds.

"Thanks Gus."

"Who's up for a celebration?" Wynonna asks. She's already made her way behind the bar and is grabbing the good bottle of whiskey off the shelf.

"Unfortunately, I have to get back to work," Nicole says and it's only then that she realises that she's still got her arm wrap around Waverly. She removes it with a slight blush but before she can make a move to leave, Gus steps in front of her.

"Nicole. Thank you for helping my girls out these past couple of weeks. It really means a lot."

"I'll always be here for your family Gus, you know that."

"That I do. Just makes sure someone takes care of you too" Gus says, her eyes flicking from Nicole to Waverly, a knowing smile creeping on her face.

Gus places a gentle kiss on Nicole's cheek before making her way over to the bar where Wynonna was pouring everyone a generously sized whiskey.

"I'm sorry I can't stay," Nicole says to Waverly.

"Me too."

"I really should go. God knows what kind of mess will be waiting for me when I get back if I leave Lonnie alone for too long. I'll see you later?"

There are so many things that Waverly wants to say to Nicole in this moment but they're are all flying quickly through her mind all at once that she can't quite make sense of them. So she just settles on the one word.

"Okay."

"Goodbye Waverly" Nicole says with a soft smile.

Waverly watches as Nicole retreats out of the doorway and suddenly her mind stills, her thoughts unscramble. She's been having thoughts for weeks about returning home and Gus buying Shorty's makes those thoughts more clear. She knows what she wants and what she's going to do. She has to tell Nicole.

Waverly charges through Shorty's door, the cool air hitting her face the moment she's outside. The weatherman had mentioned snow but she didn't expect it this soon. The powdery white flakes were falling from the sky, making it slightly difficult to see. It doesn't stop Waverly spotting Nicole on the other side of the street though. She quickly checks for any traffic before running across the road towards her target.

"Nicole! Wait!"

Nicole stops in her tracks and turns to face Waverly, smiling when she notices who is calling her.

"Hey Waves. Is everything oka-" Nicole is cut off by Waverly's body slamming against her own. Waverly's hands find the back of Nicole's neck, pulling her down so that her lips can find their way to Nicole's. Nicole has to balance herself because of the force Waverly came at her with but she doesn't mind. The shock of Waverly's lips on hers soon wears off and she kisses Waverly back with just as much intensity.

Waverly isn't sure if it's the adrenaline of chasing Nicole down or the euphoria of Gus buying Shorty's that makes her attack Nicole's lips. She had a plan and a speech to give her first but that all went out of the window the moment she saw Nicole turn and smile at her.

"What happened to friends?" Nicole says, managing to remove herself from Waverly just for a few seconds.

"I don't want to be friends and I don't want to live in the city anymore. I want to stay here in Purgatory and I want to be with you."

"Really?" Nicole asks with a mixture of shock and happiness. It's kind of hard to get her head around. She hadn't known that Waverly had been thing about moving back to Purgatory. It all seemed so sudden. "Moving back to Purgatory, that's a pretty big decision."

"I know but since I came back here, it just feels right. When I moved to the city I never really felt like I fit in there and it never felt like home to me. I moved there because I thought that's what I was supposed to do. Don't get me wrong, studying at University was the best thing I ever did but staying there for so long after wasn't. I was stuck in a rut there and I felt like I was losing myself. Being back here I felt more like me again and part of that is down to you. I've been thinking about it so much lately and I know it's a big decision. Everyone always thinks that I have everything figured out but they're wrong. I've never really been certain about anything in my life but then I met you. You're the one thing in my life that I've ever been sure of."

"Really?"

"One hundred percent."

Nicole leans down and kisses Waverly again. Despite the coldness of the snow, Waverly feels warm wrapped in Nicole's embrace.

"Wait, what about your job? Your life in the city?" Nicole asks, once again reluctantly pulling away from Waverly. She needs to know, she doesn't want the fantasy of being with Waverly to mask reality.

"There's a good chance I was fired before I came out here. I hated that place anyway. I lease my apartment monthly so I can easily get out of that. It never really felt like home anyway, Purgatory will always be my home. As for a job here, I can always help Wynonna and Gus out at Shorty's whilst I figure everything out. I'm sure Gus won't mind me living in the apartment until I find my feet."

"So, you're really doing it? You're moving back here?"

"Yes, why is that so hard to believe?" Waverly huffs, which Nicole finds rather adorable.

"Because I don't think that I could ever be that lucky."

"It isn't luck, it's you. You're the one that gave me this new perspective. These past few weeks being here and being with you have been the best of my life. I feel like I've found where I'm supposed to be and it's not Purgatory. It's wherever you are."

"I feel the same way. Wherever you go, I go" Nicole says unable to contain the smile on her face. She kisses Waverly one more time and feels the other girl shivering slightly.

"You should go inside and warm up. Celebrate with your family and I'll see you later" Nicole suggests. As much as she doesn't want Waverly to go, she still has her job to do.

They share another kiss as the snow falls around them and Waverly doesn't want to let go. The coldness starts to seep into her bones so eventually she has to let go of Nicole. She wraps her arms around herself as she leaves Nicole on the sidewalk and heads back into the warmth of Shorty's, smiling all the way.


	8. Chapter 8

Waverly is woken on Christmas Eve morning with a warm feeling in her chest. A pair of warmer lips brush a kiss on her neck, just below her ear.

"Merry Christmas baby" Nicole whispers in her ear.

"Merry Christmas to you too" Waverly replies, rolling over so she can give Nicole a proper good morning kiss.

Just as their lips touch, the bedroom door flies open and in runs Alice in a Christmas onesie.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" she yells as she jumps on the bed. "Mama told me to come and get you so we can start opening presents."

"We'll be down in a moment okay?" Waverly says, laughing at her niece's excitement. She's never experienced Christmas with Alice before and she's really looking forward to it.

Gus had offered to host Christmas at her house so they had all slept over the night before. Waverly and Nicole had taken one guest bedroom whilst Wynonna and Alice had shared the other. Waverly and Nicole were also currently wearing Christmas onesies, something that Alice insisted on. Which was fine by Waverly as she easily got cold during the night, even with Nicole wrapped around her.

Alice hops off the bed just as quickly as she got onto it and runs out of the room, a few seconds later they hear the sound of her little feet running down the stairs.

"She's so excited," Waverly says with a flash of sadness. She can't believe that she's missed out on so many Christmases with her family.

"Yeah she is and so am I. I've never looked forward to Christmas before but it feels different now that I have you. You're the best present I could ever ask for."

"That was cheesy."

"I know," Nicole says with a laugh, "but that doesn't make it any less true."

Waverly places a kiss on Nicole's lips, basking in the moment of peace they have together. She doubts that they'll get many more today with such an excitable Alice around. They have only been a couple for a week but it was still technically their first Christmas together. It was an unusual scenario to share a holiday together when they haven't been dating very long but it didn't feel unusual. Nicole has been in her family's life for the past two years so it felt natural to have her there on Christmas. She fitted in with the family perfectly, something that Waverly was grateful for, as she hoped that Nicole would be around for a while.

"Come on" Waverly says. "Let's go before Alice comes back and drags us out of bed."

* * *

They spend the morning gathered in Gus' living room, unwrapping presents. Alice has the most presents so it's mainly just the adults watching as she tears off the wrapping paper and beaming at what's inside. She seems extremely pleased with the book Waverly had bought her. It's the one that Alice had been looking at when Waverly took her to the book store the day they saw Santa.

Once Alice has finished opening her presents, Gus stands up, picking something off the side table next to her.

"I have a gift for both of you," Gus says handing both Waverly and Wynonna an envelope each.

Wynonna doesn't waste a second waiting for her sister, she just tears open the envelope and pulls out the documents inside.

"What is this?" she asks, looking over the papers.

"I may have lied a little when I said that I'm the owner of Shorty's. You two are now part owners too" Gus explains. "You both deserve it. Wynonna you worked so hard these past few years and you took the lead for me when Curtis died and I'll always be grateful for that. Waverly without you, Shorty's might be in someone else's hands. You never gave up and I owe you for that."

"Aunt Gus, you don't owe me anything," Waverly says softly, looking down at the document in her hand, still shocked at Gus' gesture.

"Of course I do. Besides, I can't run Shorty's alone. Wynonna is great at the bar side of things but we both know that math isn't her strong suit" Gus jokes.

"Hey!" Wynonna shouts, pretending to be offended. The look on her face betrays her and Waverly can see that her sister is genuinely moved by Gus' gift. Waverly stands and pulls her Aunt into a hug.

"Thanks Aunt Gus."

"You're welcome, honey."

Waverly releases her Aunt from the hug and takes her seat back next to Nicole on the couch. Nicole sends her a smile as she sneaks an arm around Waverly's waist and pulls her in closer to her body. Wynonna then takes her turn in getting up and giving Gus a hug.

"Thank you Aunt Gus. This really means a lot."

"You've earned it girl. I'm proud of you."

Wynonna smiles at her Aunt's words, only just managing to keep the tears at bay. It wasn't often that she heard someone tell her that they are proud of her.

"So babygirl" Wynonna says taking a seat in the empty space beside her sister. "You and I working together again, it'll be like the good old days."

"At least this time I'm old enough to tend the bar, so you can't make me bus all the tables on my own. Plus, from the apartment, it will be a short commute to work" Waverly jokes.

"Are you sure that you don't want to move into the homestead? It is half yours."

"That's kind of you but you've made that a home with Alice and I don't want to disrupt that."

"You won't disrupt anything, besides it'll be great to have a babysitter on tap" Wynonna teases. "Seriously Waves, we'd both love to have you back at the homestead, we can use the apartment at Shorty's for whoever is on the night shift and it'll be there if you get fed up of living with one and a half Wynonna's."

The offer is tempting. The apartment above Shorty's is only small and plus she'll get to spend more time with Alice. She's already missed out of a lot of her life, she has a lot to make up for.

"Okay then, thanks Wynonna."

"Besides, since you're officially girlfriends now, you'll probably be u-hauling with Nicole in a couple of months anyway so.."

"Hey" Waverly scolds, elbowing her sister in the side but she also can't help the little laugh that comes out afterwards. It felt nice to be surrounded by her family even with the teasing back and forth. It's the main thing she missed being in the city, despite having people around she always felt lonely. She knows that will never be an issue here.

She turns to see Nicole's reaction but if she was bothered about the implication it didn't show on her face. If anything, there was a hint of a smile there.

"I can't wait to plan New Years" Wynonna announces, taking Waverly's gaze away from Nicole.

"I'm sure Waverly and I don't mind you taking the lead on that one. You can look through Curtis' book too, he had some great idea that I think you'll like."

"I can't wait to see what he's come up with, for an old dude he sure knew how to party."

"That he did," Gus says with a chuckle.

It's nice to see Gus laughing again and talking about Curtis with fondness rather than the sadness that was there before. Gus was starting to begin her healing process and in some ways so was Waverly. She couldn't wait for the new year to start and with it, a brand new Waverly. After her talk with Nicole about staying in Purgatory, she had called Brad a to officially quit her job. She had also made plans for returning to Toronto to pack up her apartment. She could then settle into her new life here in Purgatory. She was looking forward to strengthening old relationships and exploring new ones.

She would no longer wake up every morning dreading the day ahead at a place that doesn't appreciate her. When she comes home afterwards she'll be coming back to just that, a home. She'll have Wynonna and Alice waiting for her and she'll also have Nicole. Someone that cares about her just as much as she cares about them.

Gus was right when she said that life throws you curveballs, she wasn't expecting her life to change so suddenly but it feels like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders. A weight she didn't realise was there. Waverly cuddles into Nicole a little more, pulling her arm tighter around her waist and lacing their fingers together.

She left Purgatory all those years ago, looking to find herself. She never would have thought that life would lead her back to her hometown but she knows that this is exactly where she's supposed to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, it took longer than expected but we got there in the end! I just hope that it was worth the wait. I'm already thinking about the next story and I'm hope that my writing is improving and that my stories will get better.
> 
> If you want to discuss anything the please, leave a comment or you can message me @anger_and_hope. I don't really use twitter but it's there for people to contact me.

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing in October and still that wasn't enough time and I feel like it should be better. Although it's inspired by cheesy Chrismtas movies so it's supposed to be bad right?
> 
> Merry Christmas everyone!


End file.
